Sweet Banana Casserole (from the Cocina Cubana Club)

Line bottom of heavily buttered 9x13-inch pan with half of the bananas. Sprinkle with brown sugar and dot with butter.

Sprinkle with half of the raisins and pecans. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with brandy and serve.

May be served with vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

Cuban Plantain Soup (from Steven Raichlen’s “Miami Spice”)

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups chicken stock

2 green plantains, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan. Cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic over medium heat until soft, but not brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the plantains, bay leaf, cumin, half the cilantro, salt and pepper. Return soup to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, until plantains are very tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup in a blender and return to the pot. If the soup is to thick, thin it with a little more stock. Just before serving, reheat and correct seasonings, adding salt, pepper and cumin, if necessary. If you opted to use cilantro, garnish with the reserved portion.

Serve this very hearty, thick and creamy soup with wedges of lemon or lime for squirting in the soup, and some toasted bread chunks and a salad.

Banana Flower Salad

Ingredients

1 banana flower or bell* (about 500g)

2 teaspoons oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon shredded ginger

500g lean rump steak, finely sliced

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons good soy sauce

3 tablespoons mint leaves

3 tablespoons coriander leaves

1 – 2 red chilli, seeded and chopped

Method

Discard tough outer leaves from banana bell and then finely shred the rest. I keep the outer shells for serving . Heat oil in a wok or frypan over high heat. Add onion, chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 minutes or until golden.

Add shredded banana flower and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until banana flower is tender. Add beef and cook for 5 minutes or until sealed.

Add lime and soy and cook for 2 minutes. Toss through mint and coriander and serve. Instead of beef a lot of times I simmer a chicken breast in coconut milk and fine shred, or use prawns fish whatever your fancy even fried tofu.Note: when shredding the flower keep in lemon juice and water to stop it browning till you have finished shredding when ready dry on a paper towelHint: crushed roasted peanuts are wonderful sprinkled on top

*On commercial banana farms chemicals are routinely injected into the bell. You must only use flower/bells from a chemical-free source.